Never Make a Promise
by LitBlerd601
Summary: Keiko has always held on for Yusuke over the years despite the many times when he'd really hurt her and let her down. But now that Yusuke is off in Demon World for three years, Keiko isn't exactly sure how much longer she can keep holding on. She didn't forget his promise, but will Yusuke ever return? YusxKei, Short Story, Canon-Based
1. Chapter 1

_**Never Make a Promise**_

 **Disclaimer: YU YU HAKUSHO/YU YU HAKUSHO: Ghost Files, all characters, likenesses and related indicia are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot, and Funimation Entertainment. Enjoy this story, but please also go support the official release. :)**

 **Author's Note: Hey, everybody! This is my very FIRST fanfic in quite a long time! I actually used to write Michael Jackson fanfic some years back, but now I've returned-inspired by my new-found addiction to YU YU HAKUSHO (specifically my rockin' on the YusKei ship)! Though this isn't my first fic overall, this is in fact my first YYH fic AND it's my first time publishing on an actual fanfic website. My MJ fic was on an MJ forum so the rules were a bit different. ;) Also...there simply ISN'T enough YusKei fics out there that's to my liking as I quickly found out in my search for some. So why not offer a solution and write one myself? I'll keep things short for now by testing the waters with this two-shot. I hope you enjoy it! Let's GO!**

*YYH*

 _I'll never forget that night..._

 _(Flashback)_

Keiko was upstairs studying hard for her exams, but barely able to focus...all she could think about was Yusuke. She could feel her heartstrings being pulled every which way inside her chest and her stomach sinking the more she thought about the fact that he was leaving...maybe never to return again.

Keiko stared blankly down at her textbook for only God knew how long, her hand jotting notes automatically... She snapped out of her self-induced trance when she heard her father yelling upstairs for her to come down.

"Hey Keiko, get down here! We got a special customer!" Keiko huffed out a quick breath in annoyance. She thought she made it clear how important her studies were, especially with the exams looming ever more closely...plus, wasn't it past closing time?

Keiko was taken aback when she blinked down at her notes only to realize that she had been writing... _"Yusuke, please don't go. Yusuke, please don't go. Yusuke, please don't go,"_ over and over again all the way down the page. Keiko choked back the tears that threatened to fall and she pushed herself away and up from her desk with a thought of defiance to herself, _Keiko...GET IT TOGETHER. This is nothing new. If Yusuke wants to leave...then...just let him_ go _._

"Yeah, let him go," she said in a shaky whisper, thinking that maybe if she expressed this particular thought aloud, she would do a better job of convincing herself.

"Hey, Keiko! Get your butt down here right away!" her father yelled, beckoning for her to come down again. Keiko shook her head once more, partly because of her father's incessant yelling but mostly because she tried to clear her mind of its current train (wreck) of thought.

Keiko left her room, padded quickly down the steps and whipped open the short blue curtains in the doorway that separated the restaurant from the house. "I'm trying to do my homework, Dad!"

Mr. Yukimura, who was standing behind the front counter, furrowed his dark brows and fired back, "If getting into that school means turning your back on your old man, you don't need high school anyway! Look, it's your friend Yusuke!"

Keiko had to strain to keep both her gasp of surprise and her eyes from widening when she realized who the "special customer" was. Right on beat, when Yusuke turned to look in her direction, she had managed to plaster on a blank expression as she stiffly, almost robotically walked behind the counter.

"You interrupted my studying for _him_?" Keiko asked flatly; she made a point in keeping her back turned to Yusuke. He had _some nerve_ showing up unannounced like this. Mr. Yukimura, completely oblivious to his daughter's dry demeanor continued, "He wants an order of grilled beef with rice an-"

"I know what he wants," Keiko muttered, cutting across her father. She tried her hardest to remain cold and aloof as she watched her hands work to prepare the meal for the loser sitting quietly behind her. No matter how icy she tried to make herself seem, Keiko could still feel the heat of Yusuke's steady gaze spread from the back of her head all the way down to the heels of her feet. As the slices of beef sizzled with every shift of the spatula, Keiko could't help but wonder...

 _What is he doing here?_

Before Keiko's mind could drift any further in that direction, Mr. Yukimura derailed her train of thought once again when he blurted out-

"Watch it sweetie, or you'll burn it! If you keep cooking like that, no man will _ever_ want to marry _you_." Keiko's right hand twitched at his words and she quietly grit her teeth. She took a silent sip of breath in and just as quietly released it. Keiko had to control her reactions so as to not disrespect her father...but he was being obnoxious at this point.

"How enlightened of you," Keiko replied, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Now your mother, _she_ can cook-"

" _Please_ , not now, Dad." said Keiko, hoping that the insulting exchange would end right then and there. She could feel her face heating up, blending seamlessly with the heat she still felt from Yusuke's gaze. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she came downstairs. Keiko didn't need to look at him to know this. The feelings were enough. She couldn't bear the embarrassment of her father criticizing her cooking in front of Yusuke, or anyone for that matter. But...especially _Yusuke_.

Keiko was more than grateful when the food was finished. She hurriedly poured the miso soup into one bowl, scooped the white rice into a second bowl, then finally placed the strips of grilled meat alongside a fresh salad on a plate. Keiko put all the food onto a serving tray and made her way back around the counter. She huffed out a sigh as she slammed the tray down in front of Yusuke a little more forcefully than she meant to. "Here's your food," she said as she flattened her voice back to monotone and continued to avert her eyes from Yusuke's. "Enjoy! Don't choke on it."

Now that the worst part was over, Keiko was determined to turn and walk away, go back upstairs and resume her futile efforts in studying. But before Keiko could even take a literal half step in her plan, she felt a warm, firm hand grasp her forearm, rooting her on the spot.

Yusuke finally spoke his first words to Keiko since he set foot into the restaurant. "I'd enjoy it more if you sat with me."

His touch sent an electrifying sensation through her entire body, most of the said sensation shot straight to the center of her chest before continuing upward to her face, threatening to color it a flaming red. But Keiko managed to keep her composure and she finally turned around to face the raven-haired boy.

" _Why?_ "

Yusuke, still holding onto Keiko chuckled lightly and replied, "Just because, okay?"

And just like that, Keiko found herself pulling out an empty chair at the table and making her way to sit next to Yusuke; it was only then he finally let her arm go. No matter how turbulent her feelings were, she just couldn't manage to turn him down.

 _Keiko, get it together...you're supposed to be_ mad _at him. Don't let him get in your head,_ she desperately told herself. In order to help herself with this silent cause, Keiko leaned her elbow on the table, rested her head in her hand and offered Yusuke her back again as he reached across her to grab a set of chopsticks.

"This looks great!" Yusuke exclaimed as he dug hungrily into his plate and tossed a piece of grilled beef into his mouth. His taste buds were instantly overwhelmed with an array of flavors from onion to garlic to...one more distinct spice that he couldn't place. Yusuke had eaten at the restaurant plenty of times over the years, but there was something different about the way his favorite dish was prepared. "This is the best food I ever tasted in my life!"

Keiko wasn't buying it. Yusuke knew damn well that he had eaten her food on more than one occasion. She figured he was trying to ease his way back onto her good side...especially since they hadn't seen each other since she ran off from him earlier that day by the lake. She had thought that after she left him lying in the grass after a failed attempt to mollify her would be her last time seeing Yusuke. But now, as she sat silently clinging onto her indignant front for dear life, Keiko couldn't help but feel like she should have realized that she was dead wrong. _Be strong, Keiko...don't give in..._

"Can I go now, Dad?" she finally said, ignoring Yusuke's compliment. Mr. Yukimura, who was washing dishes, caught on to what was happening in the empty restaurant. _Ah, must be another one of those days,_ he thought to himself; so Mr. Yukimura opted to stay silent.

"Want some?" Yusuke asked, holding out a piece of meat on his chopsticks to the girl who was giving him the cold shoulder. Keiko had closed her eyes at this point, in hopes that seeing nothing but the black underneath her eyelids would somehow help control the roiling of her emotions.

"Want some what?" she shot back, knowing full well she could smell the beef she just cooked near her face as Yusuke offered it to her.

"Your loss," Yusuke sighed. After a beat, he decided to press forward in striking up a conversation with Keiko. "Uh so, Keiko, you know tomorrow is my birthday, right?"

"Yeah, I knew that," she replied, still unmoving from her position in her seat.

"So uh..."

"'So' _what_?"

"So by my eighteenth birthday I'll be back here. I _will_ find a way, I promise you."

Keiko could hear the sudden shift in Yusuke's tone. It was...softer, more tender, more...thoughtful and sincere. Her eyes flew open, her heart dared to inflate with something resembling hope and against her better judgement, she turned towards Yusuke full of curiosity and asked, "And then what?"

Yusuke paused for a second; to Keiko, it was a second that seemed to stretch across all eternity. But before she could do or say anything more, Yusuke suddenly dropped his chopsticks, swung around in his seat and grabbed Keiko's forearms again. Keiko's heart raced when she found deep, mahogany eyes staring her down with more seriousness blazing in them than she had ever seen in her entire life.

Yusuke's hands slid gently up and blanketed her own. His gaze never wavered. What was the deal? What did she expect him to say next? Just about ANYTHING, right? ANYTHING but-

"Then let's get married."

Dead silence rang out as Yusuke's words hung in the air. Keiko couldn't believe what she just heard; she couldn't help but let a small gasp pass her lips as she stared wide-eyed at Yusuke. Now her heart began to beat triple-time the longer they sat facing each other. If her body heat rose any further, Keiko was sure that she'd burst into flames on the spot. _Yusuke..._

He had yet to blink and she could feel his hands squeeze hers a little more.

And that's how they sat...

...until Keiko's mind slowly drifted back down from the clouds and into this harsh reality. Yusuke was _leaving_. There was absolutely no point in getting her hopes up, and she felt silly for even allowing herself to react that way.

Keiko briefly broke eye contact as she released a heavy sigh. "Yusuke, I don't know how my new... _boyfriend_ is going to feel about that."

Then right at that moment, Mr. Yukimura's hearty laughter suddenly filled the restaurant. He turned to look at the two teenagers sitting at the table behind him still holding hands and said, "Been a while since the last time I heard one of Yusuke's proposals!"

Keiko flushed and she could feel cracks forming across the surface of her heart in spiderweb patterns. Mr. Yukimura rambled on with rolling chuckles, "He used to play that card every time you two had an argument as kids!"

And that's when Yusuke's face finally broke into his signature wide grin as he chuckled in response to Mr. Yukimura's fond reminiscence. This only made Keiko feel all the more foolish. She pulled her hands away from Yusuke's, cut him the side-eye and said almost disparagingly, "You haven't changed."

"I'm serious, three years and I'll be back and we'll get married," said Yusuke, sounding too sure of himself. Keiko _still_ wasn't buying it.

"I don't know, _buddy_ , I'm going into high school. A lot can happen in that time." She couldn't stand it anymore. She could no longer bear being in Yusuke's presence, especially after...what he just said. She abruptly stood up from the table and walked away from him without another word.

At least a silent exit was her intention until she heard-

"Keiko, you know I love you right?"

The words were out of her mouth before she even realized it, "Yeah, yeah, me too."

And back up the stairs she went. As Keiko retreated into the darkness of the stairway and headed back towards her bedroom, she could hear her father's laughter roar on until she was safely on the other side of her closed door.

She stood in the dark room, lit blue only from the light of the night outside her window. She slowly walked over to her desk and sat before her medium-sized mirror. Why couldn't she control the beating of her heart? Surely, she couldn't have still been feeling this way because of Yusuke's..."proposal," right? He had proposed to her countless times before all through their childhood, just as Mr. Yukimura said. But...there was something DIFFERENT this time in the way Yusuke went about "making up" with her. His steady, intense stare flashed across her mind's eye. Keiko truly didn't know what to do or how to feel. First she found out that boy she grew up with was in fact a descendant of a _demon_ , then she found out that he was leaving and might not even come back. Why did everything have to be so _complicated_? She leaned forward, rested her hands on either side of her face and sighed. The eyes of the girl that stared back at her from the mirror were shining with tears of misery that had yet to fall. The longer she sat this way, the more reality seemed to catch up to her.

Yusuke was leaving. An uncomfortable throb reverberated through her chest as this fact resurfaced in her mind. Yes, he was leaving...but...another potential reality crept up from the edges of her imagination and vied for dominance inside her head.

 _"Then let's get married..."_

Married...to Yusuke?

The sudden loud clanging of the restaurant's metal gate sliding up then down again startled Keiko. She turned towards her one of her windows and peered through the curtains. She spotted Yusuke strolling away down the sidewalk with his hands tucked inside his jacket pockets. He was leaving...

Leaving...

Even though Keiko knew the sight of Yusuke's retreating back should have evoked a stronger reaction of sadness from her, she couldn't help but feel a quiet sort of calm wash over her, claim her spirit and for some reason she then felt like there was no real reason to feel down after all. Why?

 _Yusuke,_ she said silently as she stared longingly at the reflected streetlights glinting from Yusuke's dark hair, _Just give me a sign that everything's gonna be alright._

She stood in the window and raised her eyebrows quizzically when she saw Yusuke slow his walk to a stop. She watched him as he pulled his right hand out of his pocket, raised his arm in the air and briefly waved. Keiko's mouth fell agape for Yusuke had never turned to look back; he simply slipped his hand back into his pocket and walked on. Keiko stood right where she was and watched his figure shrink smaller and smaller until he was finally out of sight.

Keiko released a small sigh, which was more like a breath of relief. There was hope after all.

That was her sign.

*YYH*

 **Author's Note: So, how'd you like that? As you can see, I have elements from Episode 97 all up and through here! ^_^ You gotta understand...that restaurant scene was my absolute FAVORITE scene that I EVER saw in ANY ANIME I've ever watched in my ENTIRE LIFE! And THAT'S saying something! I swear, I ship Yusuke and Keiko so HARD it's ridiculous! At first I was hesitant about jumping back into the fanfic game, but once I finally decided to jump right in, naturally an idea for this episode came to mind. That scene was so classic all on its own, but I wanted to fill in the blanks for myself from Keiko's third-person perpective (even though the very first sentence IS first-person, ha ha). If you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a review! Tell me how you feel! And I hope you come back for the second half of the story. STAY TUNED! ;-)**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Never Make a Promise**_

 **Disclaimer:** **YU YU HAKUSHO/YU YU HAKUSHO: Ghost Files, all characters, likenesses and related indicia are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot, and Funimation Entertainment. Enjoy this FICTIONAL, FAN-WRITTEN story, but please also go support the official release. :)**

*YYH*

 _...and that was two years ago to the date. Time sure does fly..._

School ended for the day, Keiko exited the building and slowly began her daily walk home, lost in her thoughts. For the past two years, Yusuke Urameshi was all that occupied her mind. It was as if she was suspended inside a moment in time where the rest of the world became a giant blur and she was surrounded by nothing but faded visions of _his_ face. She _could_ never, _would_ never admit this aloud to anyone...but in the safety of her mind...this was a silent suffering.

Outwardly, Keiko still functioned like a normal teenage girl, but deep down inside was where all of her hidden emotions resided. To the outsider looking in, she lived the perfect life: She made it to high school where she found herself once again effortlessly at the top of her class; she made two new best friends, and it didn't hurt that puberty was particularly kind to her-Keiko shot up a foot or so in height (mostly all in her legs) and she allowed her chestnut hair to grow until it cascaded down her back-she was quite a lovely sight to behold. This made her one of the popular girls in school, but none of this fazed Keiko one way or another; she simply didn't care for such things.

The flip-side of this new popularity was the fact that Keiko always ended up a target of some sort. Whether Keiko was constantly fighting off the weak advances and offers made to her from the horny overly-macho athletes and upperclassmen from the all-boys' school across the street, or whether she circumvented the girlish badgering of-

"Keiko, aren't you gonna wait for your friends?"

Speak of the devil, there they were. Keiko was pulled from her thoughts and Yusuke's sly smirk vanished from her imagination only to be replaced by the faces of her two best friends, Emi Takanaka and Honoka Matsuoka. Today was Friday and she had a feeling that the girls would want to hang out downtown, but Keiko simply wasn't in the mood for their teasing. Emi and Honoka knew Keiko since freshman year, and it didn't take them long to notice something different about Keiko: she had absolutely _no_ interest in boys whatsoever, which was the complete opposite of the way _their_ minds were wired.

This led Honoka to think that Keiko was a lesbian ("Which makes sense since this _is_ an all-girls' school," Honoka had reasoned when she first met her) but Keiko quickly shot that theory down from the sky. She had insisted that she was extremely dedicated to her studies, plus there was no one she had eyes for anyway. Once that was cleared up, the three were the best of friends ever since.

But Keiko had somewhere to go today, so she would simply have to catch up with Emi and Honoka some other time.

*YU*

Keiko met up with Kuwabara, Shizuru and Kurama at the train station to take a trip together up to Master Genkai's temple. Keiko had not seen any of them for a long time, so it was nice to see them all again gathered at a table in a small cafe. Genkai had suddenly called for an emergency meeting a few days ago and she requested all four of them to come up to the temple right away. Everyone soon realized that Genkai hadn't told anyone what the meeting was about but apparently, it was of utmost importance.

Once everyone was aboard the train, they all fell into an easy conversation, catching up on old times. Kuwabara scarfed down bento after bento, Shizuru read the newspaper and pointed out different articles of interest (including one where Hiei was identified as some sort of alien) and Kurama listened intently, replying when he had something to say. Keiko was the only one who didn't engage them. She stared out the window in silence and watched as the lush, green rolling landscape swept past. Keiko couldn't help but feel like the passing scenery of nature outside her window quite accurately reflected her friendship with Yusuke: there one minute, then gone in the blink of an eye. It had been that way for years.

With each passing day, Keiko's beacon of hope that shone so brightly dimmed. The fledgling cracks that formed in her heart two years ago were now wider and ran quite deep. Why did things have to be this way? What was it all _for?_

As for this meeting at Genkai's place...

Keiko's heart suddenly skipped half a beat and she had to stifle the small gasp that almost escaped her lips when out of the blue a very _real_ possibility presented itself to her.

 _Could it be...?_ Keiko furtively cut her eyes over at her friends, hoping that they didn't notice how flustered she had suddenly become-all three of them had sensory awareness that was out of this world...literally. Still, Keiko allowed herself to drift in that direction.

The possibility was so bright...

 _Could it be that...this meeting is because..._ Yusuke _is finally_ back _?_

*YU*

It was a complete and total embarrassment. Keiko couldn't believe she had been foolish enough to think that _he_ would be there at Genkai's temple once they arrived, and her disappointment only worsened the longer she stayed there. When Keiko and the others first arrived at the temple, they were promptly greeted by none other than a very petite young lady with sea foam green hair and sparkling red eyes.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara exclaimed, and the ginger giant was suddenly all smiles as he bounded up to his would-be girlfriend. He was just like a puppy excited to see his owner had finally come home.

 _Finally come home,_ Keiko thought bitterly, _yeah right._ She stared darkly at the happy reunion between Kuwabara and Yukina.

Keiko was annoyed with herself at the fact the she had even _dared_ to dare to hope that Yusuke would be there. He wasn't. Everyone else was there. Everyone else came. Kuwabara, Shizuru, Kurama, Yukina (she lived at the temple anyway), Botan and even _Koenma_. But no Yusuke. Typical. It was to be expected, right?

As it turned out, Genkai called for the meeting because she wanted to inform everyone that her final days were drawing near and when that day came to pass, she was leaving the temple and all the land as far as the eye could see in their hands.

Keiko tried her best to be present, she tried her best to be in the now amongst friends, and to not be whisked away by the storm of her inner battles, but...it couldn't be helped. The news of inheriting part of a major estate meant absolutely nothing to Keiko. Genkai's desire to have her temple be used as a liaison point for humans and demons to live in harmony once again, finally setting differences aside meant nothing either. None of it mattered, especially since nowhere amongst any demon that should ever step foot over the threshold would be _her_ demon-no, Keiko quickly corrected the term-her _Prince Charming._ Everyone else was there. Everyone else came. Everyone one but... _him._

She had been let down _again_ , and she had no one to blame but herself. Keiko refused to show any signs of weakness to anyone around her. She simply ignored the familiar sting in her eyes and she put her stone mask back on. _Besides_ , Keiko reasoned grimly, _it's_ only _been_ two _years..._

After Genkai shared the news of her legacy, everyone was free do as they pleased. Shizuru decided to step outside the temple for a quick smoke, Genkai, Koenma and Botan went to take a short walk through the garden and Kuwabara...well...

Keiko couldn't help but throw sidelong glances at Kuwabara and Yukina, who were sitting together in a corner sharing a private conversation. The pleased flush of red spread across Kuwabara's face along with Yukina's tinkling laughter made Keiko's skin crawl with envy. _That should be_ me, Keiko brooded in silence from her own corner on the other side of the room. Guilt consumed her as soon as the thought flitted past in her mind. How could she harbor such ill feelings like that towards her own friends? They had nothing to do with her situation. _She_ was the one who chose to hold on, no one else. She was still burning with embarrassment at the fact that everyone tiptoed all around and watched what they said for the sake of _her_ feelings.

All of the careful fronts everyone put on for Keiko wasn't even necessary anymore; she felt what she felt regardless of what anyone else said or did around her. Her heart sank lower and lower into the dark abyss of lost hope.

A little more time passed before Keiko, Shizuru, Kuwabara, Kurama and Yukina all finally gathered together at the temple's front gate.

"We have time, we could go down to the shore," Shizuru suggested as she glanced down at her wristwatch.

"Yeah, let's go!" Kuwabara agreed. He whipped around to face Yukina, "You game, Yukina? It's guaranteed fun!"

"Sure!" Yukina cheerfully replied.

*YU*

 _Only one more year to go, right?_ Keiko's eyes glazed over as she stared at the blazing orange ball hang low in the sky. She, Kuwabara, Shizuru, Kurama and Yukina stood silently together on the shore by the ocean. They had decided to spend the rest of the day together after their surprise meeting with Genkai.

Keiko tried to lighten up her mood by getting her feet wet with Yukina but...it was to no avail. She had so many pent-up emotions inside that yanked her back and forth, and this internal tug-of-war came accompanied with the backing track of Yusuke's voice looping over and over inside Keiko's mind.

 _"Then let's get married...then let's get married...then let's get married..."_

His voice echoed from one ear to the next, and the image of his deep mahogany eyes and slick jet black hair wove in and out of her dreams every night since he left. Not even the soft washing of the waves upon the shore could drown out his voice...nothing could.

"You think I will ever be with my brother?" Yukina asked Keiko, as if on cue to give a diversion.

Keiko paused thoughtfully and tucked her arms behind her back as she continued to stare out into the warm horizon. "I think you will...when he's ready." As she spoke the words to her tiny friend, Keiko wondered if she was talking more to the pretty demon who stood beside her or to... _herself._

He'll _be back, when he's ready...yeah, right..._

"Now have fun!" Keiko pressed on, now sure that her words were directed at both Yukina _and_ herself. "That's the one bad thing about sunsets..." she stretched her arms skyward and finished on a sigh, "...they make you think too much."

Yukina remained silent as she took Keiko's words in. Keiko decided to continue to push herself towards a change of subject and further away from the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole, "Let's come back soon, in the day."

"Sure," replied Yukina softly.

"Yukina!"

The two girls looked around to see Kuwabara's towering figure splash around excitedly, waving at them and holding what looked like a giant red starfish in his left hand.

"I caught the world's biggest starfish! I sensed it under a rock!" Kuwabara stood there and beamed as if he was waiting for Yukina's divine approval of his ocean shore adventures.

"And I found shells to make a necklace," Botan chimed in, holding up a handful of the most beautiful seashells Keiko ever saw. Not a single shell had a crack or a chip in it.

"Oh, cool!" Yukina squeaked in excitement. "Wait for me!"

And with one last giggle, Yukina took off running with the two of them to see if she could possibly find any underwater treasures for herself. Keiko's last hope of a much-needed distraction was gone.

The cold foamy ocean tide washed up on shore, rising to Keiko's calves; she slid unwillingly back into her sorrow. She could no longer ignore what bubbled beneath the surface of her being, something that was there for a long time now. As the water receded again, Yusuke's handsome face and encouraging smile rippled on the horizon where sunset met ocean like a mirage.

 _Yusuke..._

Keiko felt her throat painfully tighten and her eyes welled up with tears once again. It was time...time to let go. This was the longest Keiko had ever gone without seeing Yusuke. There was no more chasing him down on the school roof and chastising him for skipping class; no more of the pungent-yet-sweet smell of cigarette smoke mingling with his own signature scent-shampoo, sweat and of course... _sarcasm_. As Yusuke's face faded away, reminding her that he wasn't really there, Keiko inwardly bent down to pick up the broken shards of her heart.

Enough was enough.

Keiko clenched her hands into tight fists, closed her eyes, tossed her head back and from the deep abyss inside of her, rose a raging outburst that ripped from her throat-

"THIS IS THE END!"

Kuwabara, Botan and Yukina froze where they stood with their treasures still in hand. Shizuru's hand paused before she could take another drag from her cigarette and Kurama stood with his hands in his pockets, his eyes sad and full of knowing. Everyone turned in Keiko's direction. She didn't care if they stared at her or not; she needed to get this weight off her chest, off her shoulders and out of her life... _for good_.

"I'M TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU, YUSUKE!" Keiko continued. "HALF MY LIFE I'VE WAITED FOR YOU TO COME AROUND!" She could feel her voice crack slightly. "EVEN WHEN YOU _WERE_ HERE, YOU WEREN'T _REALLY!_ YOU WEREN'T HERE FOR _ME!"_

If Keiko's throat tightened any further from holding back her tears, she feared that she would surely die from a new form of asphyxiation but there was no stopping _now_. Keiko deserved better, she always _knew_ that she deserved better, but for Yusuke she held on...she held on to him _for_ him just as much as she held on to him for _herself._

Once upon a time, when Yusuke got into trouble for truancy offenses, chain smoking, shoplifting, and even underage gambling he came back at Keiko with excuse after excuse for his behavior. The worse Yusuke became, the worse the excuses became. As the years passed though, Keiko started to beat him to the punch. Excuse after excuse she formulated in her mind, all to save face from herself about the fact that Yusuke was a nothing but a delinquent.

But he always meant so much _more_ to Keiko. He was the greatest best friend anyone could ever hope for...and what was more...she cared for him far more than a friend. She didn't want to write Yusuke off the same way all their teachers, classmates and society in general seemed to have done to him. She was the only one who could see past that mean mug to the warm, caring friend that Yusuke was. It wasn't too hard to see, for she herself had been wearing many hard masks for years now. The various forms of pain and heartache life served made it a requirement to wear disguises from time to time, there was no doubt about it; and Yusuke had been through quite a wringer in his young life. Plus, hadn't he redeemed himself in so many ways with the whole Spirit Detective gig?

Yeah, he did...but it was because of all this Spirit Detective bullshit that got Keiko where she was at wit's end in the first place. Keiko scoffed at the irony. Despite all that...it was over now, it _had_ to be.

Keiko screamed on, as if she hoped that the waves would carry her words all the way to the edge of the human world and over into Demon World. That way she'd get her closure and would _never_ have to see that bastard's face again.

"GO ON FIGHTING, BUT IT'S TIME I DID WHAT _I_ WANT!"

Kuwabara and the gang seemed so far away from Keiko now. Her repressed misery was unleashed on the beach, where it now blanketed the air, making it heavy and harder to breathe for the four spiritually attuned who could only look on helplessly.

Keiko fell silent, for her throat was in too much pain for her to go on. What more could she even say? What else was there left for her _to_ say?

"I don't want you to wait, either."

Keiko gasped and she quickly glanced to the source of that familiar voice. It had been too long since the last time she heard it. As soon as her eyes fell onto the source, time slowed down for her. A tall, lean and muscular figure loped towards Keiko off in the distance on the shore. Tanned skin, jet-black hair slicked back, blue jeans, white t-shirt, red jacket, sneakers and a knapsack over his shoulder...

 _Oh my God..._ Keiko's bottom lip quivered as soon as the figure was close enough for her to identify.

Yusuke stopped where he was and waved at Keiko with a smile of reassurance written across his face. "See? You don't have to."

Keiko's body began to quiver from head to toe as she felt her feet take unsteady steps towards Yusuke. Her mind had yet to register his appearance. Was this a dream? A single teardrop finally escaped Keiko's left eye. After all the holding back, after all the denying herself the right to purge, two years worth of tears flowed freely as her stumbling feet broke out into a flat-out run.

"Yusuke!" she cried. All Keiko could hear was her feet slapping the damp sand as she sprinted down the shore; all she could feel were the fragments of her heart put themselves back together anew as it illuminated inside her chest and chased all the darkness away; and all she could see through the blur of tears was Yusuke.

 _My Prince Charming..._

The next thing Keiko knew, she was laughing and airborne as she leapt forward, stretching her arms as far as they could go before her chest barreled into Yusuke's and they went crashing down to the ground.

"One of us has gotten more athletic since I've been gone!" Yusuke grunted out as Keiko's weight bore down on him.

 _He's really here. He's really back..._

Keiko wrapped her arms around Yusuke, buried her face into the crook of his neck and held him as tightly as she could. The tighter she squeezed, the more sure she was that the man lying beneath her was really there. She pulled herself up onto her elbows and took a moment to stare down at Yusuke, whose eyes were still a little wide with surprise. He was still just as handsome as she remembered.

Keiko felt something stir deep within her and found her face lowering closer and closer to Yusuke's.

 _Yusuke..._

Keiko closed her eyes. Even when she felt Yusuke's strong arms wrap securely around her, she still had to be sure. Without a second thought, Keiko gently pressed her lips against Yusuke's. Her stomach suddenly became host to a nest of butterflies, but she couldn't let go-she _wouldn't_ let go. And now, she wouldn't have to.

*YU*

 _And so..._

Keiko's heart still danced on air as her hand clung to Yusuke's and they raced together across the sands of the beach some hours later. Keiko had no idea where Yusuke was leading her, but as she breathlessly ran on she found that she didn't care too much, as long as he was with her.

Keiko didn't mean to seem selfish, but she was so grateful when the impromptu celebration of Yusuke's return came to a close. Koenma and Botan headed back to Spirit World, Kuwabara returned to Genkai's temple with Yukina, Shizuru went home and Kurama decided to visit Hiei so he could make fun of him for being sighted as a "three-eyed alien" in the newspaper.

And then there were two.

She had missed everything about this man so much. From his hearty laugh to his signature grin, even all the way down to his sarcastic ass remarks; she _missed_ him and now he was back at last.

Their clothes were still a bit damp and clung to their skin because of a giant wave that had suddenly rose from the tide and washed over both Keiko and Yusuke while they still laid in the sand locked in their kiss earlier. After being whipped away from each other by the water, there was only one thing left to do-GO TO WAR! So Yusuke, Keiko and the rest of the gang raced out into the ocean together and had an all-out water fight. They all made up for lost time until the sun sank below the horizon.

Now the full moon was high and thousands of silver stars twinkled in the inky blue-black sky. The air had cooled now and was filled with magic; Keiko could feel it. Curiosity eventually managed to get the best of her as Yusuke slowed his run to a walk and led her around a bend of rock and into a more private area of the beach.

"Hang on," said Yusuke, coming to a sudden stop. He turned towards Keiko and took in her flushed face and flyaway hair. "Close your eyes."

"Wait- _what?"_

"Close your eyes, Keiko. _Trust me_."

Keiko furrowed her brow in mild confusion, but she did what she was told. All of her senses heightened and just when she thought that tide washed away the butterflies she had inside along with her anguish...the fluttering beauties managed to make a comeback.

She felt Yusuke's hands rest on her shoulders as he gave her a gentle push forward.

"Just follow my lead," he said.

"Don't you let me fall, Yusuke!"

"I won't, I won't! And don't you go peeking!" Yusuke shot back.

"I won't, I won't!" said Keiko, imitating Yusuke's voice with a laugh. Keiko only walked forward blindly for a minute before Yusuke brought her to another halt.

"Okay, Keiko...you can open your eyes now."

Keiko swallowed down the heavy beating of her heart and she slowly opened her eyes. The scene set before her stole every last bit of her breath. Not too far from the edge of a clearing of palm trees, there was a large ring of votive candles that were lit in pale blue glass holders set up in the sand; upon closer inspection, Keiko realized the "ring" of candles was actually in the shape of a heart. Safely in the center of the gentle glow of the heart there was a plush cerulean blanket and sheet laid out, which were covered in piles of plump matching throw pillows in various shades of blue.

"Oh, Yusuke!" she gasped. "How did you- I-I mean, _when_ did you- _how-?"_

Yusuke chuckled at Keiko's ridiculous stuttering. She was at a loss for words for once in her life. He beamed proudly as he replied, "Well, that's for _me_ to know and for _you_ to always wonder about," Yusuke fought back a laughing fit as Keiko still stood there agape.

"But Keiko..." Yusuke began after a moment's silence of allowing her to take in the beautiful sight. He squeezed her shoulders gently, "I did this all for you."

He walked around Keiko and stood in front of her. Yusuke stared into Keiko's eyes with the exact same intensity from two years ago when he came to the family restaurant. He took her by the hands and pulled her closer to him.

"I heard your every word you were out here yelling earlier. I even heard you when you wouldn't say a word. I always knew you were the one for me, but I was too busy being an asshole to realize it. I was in denial... I never meant to put you through so much pain. I was selfish."

Yusuke paused and briefly glanced down at his hands holding hers. Keiko trembled slightly, but he couldn't tell if it was from the cool night air plus damp clothes or because she was nervous. And that made _Yusuke_ nervous.

He pressed on, "Look, even though I had to go back to Demon World...I thought about you every single day I was away. I trained, I went on different missions and treks but..."

Yusuke trailed off. Dammit, he was rambling now.

Keiko simply waited with bated breath.

It was now or never.

Yusuke released Keiko's left hand and reached into his right jacket pocket. Keiko's eyes followed his hand as it rustled around for a moment, and when he pulled it back out he held-

Keiko's eyes swam with tears again. _W-wait...wait...oh my God..._

Her eyes widened further and the tears fell as Yusuke slowly sank to the ground on one knee and held a small, dark blue velvet box up to her. "You know, I never _did_ get a real answer from you."

"Yusuke," Keiko whispered through her sniffles. She almost forgot how to use her voice.

Yusuke opened the tiny box and resting in the center of it was the most stunning engagement ring that Keiko had ever seen. It was pure silver, and the band wrapped around to form two hands which gently cradled a gemstone in the shape of a heart. Hiccries further rocked Keiko's already-trembling body as she realized that the gemstone itself was a beautiful blend of vibrant blue and green specks.

It was their favorite colors... _combined_.

"Yusuke," Keiko choked out a quiet sob again, unable to say anything else. Yusuke leveled his gaze up at the sobbing brunette beauty that stood before him.

"Well, what d'ya say? Will you marry me, Keiko?"

Keiko was almost rendered mute, but before her voice could give out completely, she shook her head violently up and down and squeaked, "Yes, Yusuke! Yes! Yes! _Yes!"_

Yusuke's face instantly broke out into his wide grin and waves upon waves of relief and joy washed over him. He pulled the ring from inside of the box and carefully slid it onto Keiko's left ring finger, eliciting further gasps and sighs from Keiko. He stood back up and leaned in close to her face. His arms snaked around her slender waist and he leaned her back into a dancer's dip before his mouth caught hers in a passionate kiss, this time uninterrupted.

He was ready this time, and he could feel that she was too.

Yusuke's strong arms swept beneath Keiko taking her by surprise and he lifted her off her feet, and carried her bridal style to the center of the ring of candles. He gently laid her down on the cozy sea of blue that surrounded them and leaned down to nuzzle his face against her neck.

Keiko released a quiet moan as Yusuke's body pressed against her own and she felt the warmth of his tongue glide up her jugular. Things escalated so fast it made her head spin. Yusuke was back home at last and _now_...she was _engaged_.

She reached up to slide Yusuke's heavy jacket from his shoulders. Yusuke leaned back slightly, tilted his arms and gazed down at the love of his life as he allowed the jacket to fall behind him.

"I missed you so much, Yusuke," said Keiko softly. In response, she received another tender kiss on the lips. "I really want you to know that."

"I know. And you don't have to worry or wait anymore, Keiko," came Yusuke's reply. He leaned back down, gently brushed Keiko's bangs from her eyes and caressed her face. "I'm here to stay."

Keiko wrapped her arms around Yusuke's neck; behind his head, she stole another glance at the ring that now graced her finger.

 _Yusuke...my Prince Charming._

"How do I know that for _sure?"_ Keiko whispered.

Yusuke smiled warmly at his new fianceé and continued to caress her cheek.

"That's easy. I may have done a lot of wrong in my life, but I can tell you one thing: I _never_ make a promise that I can't keep."

*YYH*

 **FOREVER FOREVER**

 **Author's Note:** **And that's the story, you guys! THIS is my idea of the perfect ending for my OTP. I feel fulfilled now. Lol. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Oh, and if you know about the infamous "FOREVER FORNEVER," then you know why I purposely chose to write "FOREVER FOREVER" instead. :) To be absolutely honest, when I first started this story I just KNEW it was going to be a two-shot and I knew that I wanted to write my very own lemon for YusKei, that's why I have it rated M.**

 **But then the story came to life and took direction of its own and this was the end result. The way the Full Moon Romantic Beach Scene was going, I felt like it was far more tasteful for this to end on a lighter, mere hint of citrus kind of note. But I'll just keep the rating at M just to be safe. HOWEVER...if you want me to go FULL-BLOWN LEMON in a bonus chapter, I'm willing to go for it...ONLY if I get enough requests for it though. ;) Speak up, my friends, don't be shy! *heh, heh***

 **If you liked it, if you didn't like it, if you have any thoughts or constructive criticism at all, feel free to drop a review. Even if you just want to say hello, I love feedback! It's really encouraging and I appreciate everyone's point of view.**

 **I plan on writing a couple of Fairy Tail fanfics next for the S.S. NALU (my own joking term for the ship, you see) and...oohhhhh myyyyyyyy, how dirty** _ **will**_ **I get?**

 **(The Answer: QUITE dirty. Lemon juice splashing everywhere!) I already know EXACTLY what I want to write about. If you love Fairy Tail, NALU, drama, romance and lemons, then stay tuned for when the next fic drops.**

 **Peace out for now!**

 **~*LitBlerd601**


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